About Vancouver's South Granville

How stocks have performed relative to Real Estate prices in Canada at large. Which one makes better long-term investment? The article "Stocks vs. Real Estate" give us some useful data for us to decide whether to invest stocks or real estate. Appreciating 12.4% annually between 2001 and 2006, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. Home Price index. That clobbered stock prices, which gained only 4.3% a year as measured by the S&P 500. Although over the long run stocks win easily, it is also more risky.

It really needs to think twice before you invest. Want to earn more and with less risk? Find us to ask, we are sure we will give you worthy information.

Reference: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/real_estate/0704/gallery.stocks_v_realestate.moneymag/index.html

The Compton Building in Vancouver

Neighbourhood: Fairview/South Granville

The Compton is located on 11th Avenue between Hemlock and Birch

Stories: 12
Suites: 58
Approx Year Built: 2001
Built by: Polygon
Construction: Concrete
Number of parking stalls per suite: 1
Title to Land: Freehold Strata

Rentals: Permitted w/restrictions

Pet Friendly: Yes w/restrictions








Amenities: In-suite Laundry, Bike Room, Elevator

Some suites feature: patio, garden, balcony, solarium, gas fireplace, gas stoves, office area/storage, awesome city & mountain views

Configurations: Suites in the Compton consist of 1 bedroom/1bathroom/solarium, 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms/den/office or storage

Suite sizes range from approximately 617 square feet to 855 square feet.


Neighbourhood highlights include:

Minutes to the downtown core
Close to the 10 Ave Bike Route
Steps to Restaurants, shops and coffee shops
The Stanley Theatre is within 2 blocks
Meinhardts Grocery store a 4 block walk
2 blocks to public transit artery on Granville or Broadway

If you want to live at The Compton or in the Fairview/South Granville neighbourhood just call Jeffrey Sefton at 778-235-4501.

Please note that Strata bylaws may change so please check with your REALTOR® with regards to bylaws prior to purchasing in a Strata development.

Get this weeks market snapshot for the Compton and surrounding area

Search for Homes in the Fairview, South Granville area



Jeffrey Sefton
Macdonald Realty Ltd.
604-263-1911
jeffrey@sefton.ca |www.sefton.ca

Country Furniture Vancouver showcases Edible Garden author, Andrea Bellamy

What does one do on a rainy, grey Saturday afternoon? I sure needed a pick-me-up. One of my favourite things to do is visit Country Furniture, on South Granville in Vancouver. Ok, honestly, I really think they should re-name the furniture store "French Country Furniture", because what keeps me coming back is all the French influenced furniture and accessories.

Today was the result of receiving Country Furniture's newsletter a little while back. The store kept advertising a local Vancouver author, Andrea Bellamy, who has recently released a book called Sugar Snaps and Strawberries. If the title isn't enough to warm your heart, then flipping through the pages of this delightful book certainly will. As a visual person, I really appreciate the beautiful photographs throughout this book of herbs and vegetables showcased in beautiful pots and vessels.

Sugar Snaps and Strawberries covers creating edible gardens in small spaces, such as you apartment balcony or townhouse garden. Coop community gardens are also mentioned. To quote the book, it's all about "simple solutions for creating your own small-space edible garden". Now I don't know about you, but I'm really not a gardener. I don't have indoor plants because I kill them. However, Andrea assures me that this book is for the beginner and even hopeless cases like me can achieve some form of success. The book is set out in simple step by step instructions to help achieve a little urban garden oasis in your urban jungle.

Now, as a Home Stager, you know I have to bring this back to home staging... How exciting would it be to a potential buyer if on your deck you had urns full to the brim with herbs and veggies, all ready for the picking. Talk about creating an enviable lifestyle. As long as there's someone (Realtors...) to water the plants, this could really speak to a buyer's emotions. With Jamie Oliver's quest to create meals incorporating what is grown in the garden (although he does confess to hiring gardeners...), wouldn't a pot of herbs speak to all those foodies out there!

The book, Sugar Snaps and Strawberries is published by Timber Press, and has been released in both Canada and the U.S. Also, check out Andrea Bellamy's Blog, Heavy Petal. Enjoy, and happy growing and cooking!

Does this House Move You? - Staging a House with Emotion

Home staging is not just about placing furniture in a vacant property, or adding fresh towels in the bathroom or throwing some colourful toss cushions on a sofa and calling it a day. At Exit Stage Right, we believe there is so much more to home staging than meets the eye. I always find it rather amusing, those who feel they can stage a property themselves and think they don't need a professional Home Stager.

A really good Home Stager will take an uninteresting corner and turn it into an interesting feature. They will add something that tugs at your heart strings, or makes your heart skip a beat. It will be a little touch here or a little interesting grouping there that makes you sigh or catch your breath, either consciously or subconsciously.

Don't settle for just ok. Wow buyers by hiring a Real Estate Home Stager who can really grab a home buyer's attention and let them remember your home above the other 10 homes they visited that weekend.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs - Home Selling in Vancouver

As a Home Stager in Vancouver, I often give advice on curb appeal. I suggest several things:

- Plant colourful flowers
- Add planters with flowers or ornamental trees
- Paint the front door a contrasting colour
- Clean up the yard, store the hose reel, pick up after Fido
- Clean the windows
- Prune the bushes
- Cut back the tree to better see the house
- Add a new mail box
- Add more up-to-date house numbers

One point that has never come up before, is the question of election signs in the front yard while you're trying to sell your home. We are having a national election here, and voting day is today, May 2nd. There are political signs everywhere right now, littering the city.

I recently staged a home that is located on a busy main street. Having a political sign on this street would be invaluable to a political party, as thousands of people drive this road day in and day out. I felt it was my duty, as a home stager, to caution the home owner that by displaying one political party's sign, they may be alienating potential buyers who align themselves to another political party. The name of the game here is attracting the broadest range of buyers to view your house. Also, in my opinion, the Realtor's® sign is dwarfed and pretty much lost amongst the political party's sign.

What's your vote? Do you think it matters if you display political signs when selling your house?